Solar Phases
by IHateCheddar
Summary: It was most certainly meant to be a gloating, bragging missive. Zuko was completely aware of that. That being said, it wasn't every day one could interrogate the Northern Princess on whether or not they held the Avatar within their colossal, frigid walls. He had just expected someone closer to, say, his sister. Someone who probably deserved to spend some time beyond bars. Not her.
1. Chapter 1: Zuko Makes Bad Life Decisions

**(I don't own Avatar or any of its characters, only this fanfiction's plot)**

* * *

It was a relatively normal day on the ship Wani when the messenger hawk came.

Zuko had just finished going through a set of katas when he spotted the creature, and for a brief moment, he hoped it might be from his father.

Maybe he had changed his mind and wanted him home? Or perhaps he was just interested in learning how his training was progressing.. That would make more sense, actually. Zuko hadn't earned his way home yet, and his father was probably worried about how his.. injury.. would be affecting his combative abilities.

It wasn't from his father.

Zuko brow creased in confusion when he saw the Captain's seal on the letter before he checked the ship number on the hawk. Then it made a lot more sense.

"That fucking ash-pisser.."

"M-my Prince!" Lieutenant Jee exclaimed, and Zuko felt his cheeks warm and shot the man a nasty look.

The lieutenant had no room to talk!

Zuko set the hawk on his shoulder (where it happily began fussing with his phoenix plume) and unrolled _Captain_ Zhao's letter. He honestly shouldn't have been surprised, the hubristic asshole always sent him a missive whenever he got a promotion, a special assignment, or anything else he thought would piss Zuko off.

He was usually correct; just not today.

"I'm afraid our sparring session has ended, Lieutenant. Get back to work."

"Prince Zuko, is something..?"

Zuko shot him a glare, and if there were any benefit to having half his face seared off, it was being able to shut grown men up with a look.

He watched the Lieutenant walk off before he pulled on his shirt (the messenger hawk was now perched on his head) and marched back to his room.

It was most certainly meant to be a gloating, bragging missive. Zuko was completely aware of that.

That being said, it wasn't every day one could interrogate the Princess of North on the whereabouts of the Avatar, now was it?

Zuko had always had his suspicions that the old coward was hiding up there, safe and sound and ignoring the mess that they had created. That being said, even Zuko was aware it would be nothing short of suicidal to try even approaching the fortified city with nothing short of an armada.

Not that Zuko wasn't willing to die for his mission, because he was! He was just also aware it wasn't right to ask his crew and Uncle to try unless he was completely sure the Avatar was there.

They'd have probably thrown a mutiny and killed him if he tried, anyways.

With that cheerful thought in mind, Zuko swung his bedroom's door open and headed towards his desk, grabbing some blank scrolls of paper out.

"Okay.. _Captain Zhao, I appreciate you for informing me and my crew and I will be_.. No, no no that's stupid.. Maybe I should order him to meet me so that I can interrogate her?"

The messenger hawk gave his hair a tug, and Zuko slumped against his desk.

"You're right, he wouldn't listen to an order.."

Zhao didn't respect the fact that he was fucking royalty because of his temporary banishment.

Zuko groaned and ran his hands over his head, causing the hawk to squawk and fly off. He looked over to see it had landed on his sword rack.

"Get down from there before you turn yourself into the world's fluffiest shish kabob."

When the hawk only hunkered down in response, Zuko sighed. Getting up he pulled his chair and dragged it over so he could reach up and get the hawk down with ease. Not because he was too short to get it otherwise.

Gently smoothing the hawk's feathers, Zuko hummed to it softly. Poor thing, he doubted Zhao petted it or gave it any attention.

"Prince Zuko, I heard that.. Oh, I see you've made a friend." His Uncle's smile widened at the glare he received. "The handsome bird doesn't look like one of ours, though."

"Lieutenant Jee snitched on me, didn't he?"

"The Lieutenant informed me you received a distressing missive, may I?"

Zuko sighed and made a vague gesture towards his desk, his Uncle wasting no time in his snooping.

"Ah, it's from Lieutenant Zhao. He's been promoted again." His Uncle sounded less than impressed.

Zuko's lips twitched, before forcing a frown in place. "It's hardly the highlight of that letter."

His Uncle lowered the missive and quirked an eyebrow. "Does the Fire Nation's victory displeasure you, Prince Zuko?"

"Of course not!" Was said Prince's thundering response. "I.. I just have a suspicion that the North has or at least is aware of the location of the Avatar, so questioning her would be beneficial to our cause."

"Ah, I see."

"Uncle.." Zuko knew that look, it was his Uncle's Oh-spirits-he's-still-on-about-_that_ look.

"Even if they did, it's not possible to check with our current arsenal." His Uncle made a vague gesture to their sad little out-dated ship, as if Zuko hadn't already known that.

"The Northern Princess might have information on how to evade the scouts that guard their waters and infiltrate the walls." Zuko picked up the letter he had been writing, "If I could only figure out how to make Zhao, or maybe even father, see that."

Something changed in his Uncle's expression for a moment, before thoughtfulness covered it up.

"Hmm.. You may be right," His Uncle admitted, stroking his beard. "Though I don't believe anything you say will convince Zhao to help you, considering how much he hates you."

Zuko tried to pretend that comment didn't hurt.

"Even if you do believe my brother would offer you any kind of assistance, which I highly doubt, Zhao would have already delivered the Princess to the Boiling Rock by the time he answers back."

"So what?" Zuko felt his temper rise. "Am I just supposed to give up?"

_You told me to always keep fighting!_

"I'm saying you have no way to pursue this lead short of breaking the Northern Princess out of Zhao's brig, _which would be treason."_ His Uncle explained, setting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Picking your battles isn't the same thing as giving up, Nephew. I know this can be a hard thing for a determined young man like you to swallow."

Zuko gave a noncommittal nod, and his Uncle sighed before rolling the letter up and leaving him to brood alone.

Once the door clicked close, Zuko sat on his cot and stroked the bird absentmindedly.

He knew his Uncle hadn't meant it as a real suggestion, but Operation: Illegal Prisoner Transfer did have some real merit.

It was his only option, after all.

He gently opened his porthole and threw the bird out, watching and waiting to see where the hawk went.

* * *

Zuko felt like his heart was in his throat while he unloaded the skit into the water, just waiting for one of the watchmen to notice him hanging precariously off of the side of the Wani.

He should really yell at them more, they obviously weren't doing an adequate job guarding him or this ship.

Landing with a splash, Zuko held his breath and began his journey. He was setting off in the direction the hawk had gone.

The Mao (Zhao's ship) really wasn't that far away. It was just a few miles away from the river the Wani was currently cruising down.

Careful to keep to the shadows, Zuko crouched low in the boat as he made his way closer and closer to the giant warship. Once close enough, the young prince scaled the side of the tub and climbed in through a porthole. Now in a hallway, Zuko was forced to ask himself a rather obvious question, Where am I?

If Zuko had to make an estimation based off of the Wani, he'd say somewhere near the engine room. Not where he wanted to be, but better than the Captain's office. Mask or not, Zuko did not want to run into Zhao right now.

He made his way towards where he assumed the Brig was located.

* * *

The last month of Yue's life was less than ideal, to say the least.

It all started when their first bender fell ill, with symptoms of high fever and inflammation.

Colds weren't an abnormal thing up at the Poles, and they weren't usually a big deal between the toughness of their men and the capabilities of their healers.

No, what was troubling was that Urrick had lost his ability to bend before his symptoms began worsening drastically. Unfortunately, he was only the first to fall to this new disease.

"It's an epidemic," Yugado had told her, fighting through her own fever. She explained what Yue would need to look for to save her people. She, along with a small group of non-benders, would travel to the Northern Earth kingdom to find the herbs her Tribe would need if they were going to beat this plague.

Perhaps it wasn't very womanly, but Yue just couldn't sit back and let her people suffer without doing anything. She had to act, she had to fight for them!

..Which was how she had ended up aboard Mr. Muttonchops ship in the first place.

Her women had been making their way back through the Northern Earth kingdom, just alongside the Wanabi River, when they had been spotted by the soldiers.

Yue had heard about the Fire Nation and how it's people craved for the taste of human ash since she was a little girl, but never in her wildest dreams did she believe that they were capable of such blatant evil.

She had fled with the other women while the men tried to give them cover to escape. Yue wasn't sure how many had gotten away, but the screams hadn't been reassuring.

The only reason she was alive was because the man who had caught her had found her hair.. appealing, and had brought her back to his leader in hopes of a reward.

Said leader, Mr. Muttonchops himself, had unfortunately realized the significance of her the pendants she wore.

Yue could only hope someone had escaped. Her tribe needed those herbs.

* * *

Zuko noted that it was really, really dark in the brig.

Aside from some sparse torches, there were no windows, and the bars created shadows everywhere.

Good for him, bad for the guards.

Once the last guard was down, the young prince grabbed a torch off of one of the brackets (no need for anyone to know the Northern Princess was rescued by a fire bender) and started methodically checking each cell. Finally stopping when he spotted the girl in Water Tribe-blue.

She looked up, and Zuko was taken aback by her eyes; they were blue, he hadn't even known that was possible!

The next thing that caught his attention was the lack of chains or rope. Why in the ever-loving warm ray of Agni wasn't the Water Witch gagged or bound? They were currently on a ship surrounded by water, and if this girl was trained half as hard as his sister, he shivered to think of what she might be able to do. Was Zhao _really_ just that fucking stupid?

"Who are you?" She asked, pretending to sound scared.

Nevermind, Zuko decided. It doesn't matter anymore, it just made things easier.

Putting his index finger over the mouth of his mask in a shushing gesture, Zuko set the torch up against the bolt and strengthened the heat of the flames so that the metal would become nice and soft. Pulling his swords out, he sliced right through.

The Northern Princess stood, eyes wide as she stared at the now open door. Zuko made a 'follow me' gesture and started back towards the exit.

Hurrying after him, the Northern Princess whispered: "You didn't answer before, did my father send you?"

Zuko mimed 'shut the hell up' before turning down another hall.

Currently, the plan was to follow the pipes back to the engine room where they could slip back out the porthole and into his skit. From there he'd wait until they were sufficiently far from the Mao to make his move.

But of course, nothing goes to plan, because the world fucking hates him.

That was the only satisfactory explanation for why they had to run into one of Zhao's engineers, and why she managed to sound the alarms and why the Northern Princess just had to run because the skit was right there and if they could just _get past these peasants-_

Dodging a blast of fire, Zuko legged it after the Northern Princess, who was really fast for a girl who had been locked away for however-the-fuck the long Zhao had kept her _holy shit._

Sprinting ahead, Zuko started haphazardly leading them through the warship until they made their way onto the deck. About a dozen or so soldiers were biting at their heels.

Blocking a pike, he looked over to see how his temporary-ally was fairing and swore loud enough to make Agni turn red.

The Northern Princess was currently being pinned to the deck by several soldiers and putting up a more pathetic resistance than Azula had when mother had forced her to see Love Among the Dragons for the tenth time that week.

Pushing his current opponent back, Zuko rushed over to help; kicking the first man holding the Northern Princess down, ducking down to avoid a fireball from behind, which knocked two more crewmen off their feet in front of him, and hit the last man holding the girl down with the blunt of his sword.

Everything moved in slow motion, Zuko could hear his blood pumping through his veins as he snatched the girl out of the way of another fireball and then parried another pikeman. The crew was slowly blocking off their escape, and a man in a Captain's uniform stepped forwards, scowling at the two with unhidden fury.

Holding his hand up, the soldiers held their fire.

"Men, I want you to take a good long look at this; this apparently being the best the North can offer, a savage in a theatre mask and a weak excuse for a royal." Fire alighting in his palm, a cruel grin spread across Zhao's face, "Let's show them the might of the Fire Lord isn't to be so disrespected."

Zuko felt the air leave his lungs and Zhao signaled for his crew to descend upon them and he was suddenly once again fighting backfire and steel while trying to look for an opening so they could escape this ship. Pressing his back against the Northern Princess, Zuko used his swords to block an incoming spear at the last second, the impact sending reverberations up his arms. They wouldn't last long like this.

"It would be a good time to use the ocean, Princess." Zuko pleaded, stepping around a thrust.

For her part, The Northern Princess yelped and whipped around to stare at him. "What do you mean 'use the ocean'?!"

Using some discreet bending to divert another fireball, Zuko leaped forwards to knock another crewman out. Turning on her, he yelled. "I mean _drown them,_ you idiot girl-"

"Look out!" She cried, and Zuko turned fast enough to catch something hard and heavy to the face.

His world went dark.

* * *

**My first A:TLA fanfic :D I really love Yue/Zuko even just as platonic soul-mates, so I'm really excited to write this! There really are a criminally small amount of works even featuring the two together for any significant amount of time, let alone exploring that whole "Two Royals who have been abused by our respective governments" dynamic they have going on**

**Thanks to my beta reader MegaFlash for helping me with this!**


	2. Chapter 2: Frog-Fish and Princes

The savage had turned around just in time to take a pike to the face, half his mask breaking away, leaving the metal deck covered in splinters of blue wood.

And just like that; every single one of Zhao's men forgot how to fucking operate.

* * *

Yue only took a second to appreciate the fact she wasn't on fire as she trampled through seemingly paralyzed soldiers like a wild komodo-rhino through an especially fragile and cramped marketplace. Her metaphorical rider being the Blue-masked warrior slung over her shoulder.

Blood pounding so hard she might as well have a drummer living in her head, she barely registered the belligerent shouting going on in the background as she jumped over the railing, her useless cargo in hand, and into the sea below.

Her warrior had said to trust in La, after all.

* * *

Yue opened her eyes and was momentarily surprised to see the bright blue sky over her head before the events of the previous night crashed into her head like a wild tigerdillo.

_Right,_ she blinked. _Blue had happened._

Feeling a sudden jolt of panic, Yue quickly shot to her feet and looked around wildly for the boy. Had he drowned? Had she failed him along with her people? Had-

"Hey..? You okay?"

Turning around Yue was momentarily surprised to see a young girl hesitantly hunching over a prone figure (Blue!). Gently nudging the boy as if to rouse him, the stranger glanced up and brown eyes went wide when she took Yue in.

"Who are you?"

"Yue, and you are?"

"Song," The girl tucked some of her flyaway black hair behind her ear, giving Blue a fruitive glance over her shoulder. "Are you a friend of his?"

"Is he alive?" Yue asked urgently, stepping closer. Distraction and evasion.

"Yes," Song crouched down and gave Blue's shoulder an experimental shake. "Just unconscious, what happened?"

"Fire Nation," Yue spat, walking over to the two. "We nearly drowned escaping."

"He probably has a concussion," Song revealed. "My mother is our village's healer, so if you'd like I can help you take him back home?"

Yue smiled and nodded, she'd like that very much.

* * *

Last night, Yue hadn't quite appreciated how heavy her rescuer was.

Song had helped her, of course. But still, hauling Blue's dead weight all the way up the hill to the healer's hut wasn't a small feat.

Wiping her brow, the young girl offered Yue a dopey grin. "I'll go fetch mother, why don't you go ahead and check on that knot on his noggin? Boy could use a nice cold compress."

Yue didn't have time to even ask where their well was before Song rushed out the door. Sighing, Yue slumped down in a visitor chair and glanced over at her savior.

Now that they weren't in imminent peril, Yue noticed that the hit from the pike had broken away half of Blue's mask. He was a pretty boy, Yue would give him that; pale like snow, and though he didn't look like he had any hair, he was quite handsome. If in a delicate sort of way.

Pulling what was left of the boy's mask off Yue barely registered how it clattered to the ground as her hands flew up to muffle her scream. Her eyes widening wide as they took in that horrible distinctive scar.

During the Princess's time in the Earth Kingdom, she had heard several rumors about the Banished Prince and had received ample gossip during her forced stay in Muttonchops brig. Yue had heard various things about the boy, mostly contradictory, but one thing had always remained the same. He had been horribly disfigured.

Standing up, Yue started to pace the shack, feeling her heart speeding up. It had to be a coincidence, right? There was no way she had just been saved by the Prince of her captors. That was just insane!

Eyeing the totally-not-an-enemy-prince, Yue hastily pulled back the boy's hood and felt weak in the knees when her eyes took in his painfully obvious Fire Nation hairstyle. This could not be happening..

She must have somehow contracted the disease despite being a non-bender. She was just hallucinating in her cell, and the guards' talk of Prince Zuko's rivalry with their captain was just influencing her fevered dreams. Any moment now, she'd snap out of it.

She did not snap out of it.

The boy was still just as scarred, and just as obviously Fire Nation as the last time she looked at him. Yue knew that if their hosts found out who he was, they'd kill him.

She wasn't about to let that happen.

* * *

"Well, the boy has a pretty nasty concussion, but he should be fine."

Song's mom, Soko, straightened. "Where did you say you were from?"

"Uh.." Yue searched her mind for a place, any place, and oh she really should have paid more attention to General Korlack. "Gaipan?"

"Really? You're an awfully long way from home."

"Yeah, my.. Brother and I got run out by the Fire Nation a while ago." She sighed. "They just caught up the other night is all."

"Well, you're lucky. No broken bones from what I can see, just a few bruises and scrapes. He'll probably be up within a day or so."

"That long?" Yue bit her lip. "I.. I don't have any money, or a place to stay or.. Or.."

"You can stay with us, right mama?" Song asked, smiling cheekily. "You always make too much roast duck."

Soko laughed. "I suppose if your father doesn't mind, I could always use an extra hand around the farm."

"Farm?"

"Song will show you the ropes in the morning," Soko waved off, neglecting to tell her what a 'farm' was. "Come, let's let your brother get his rest. Poor boy's going to have a headache if Koh ever gave him one."

Yue followed the women out of the hut and down the cobbled street, through a thicket, and up towards an old stone house with a wooden building off to the side.

Soko's husband, Don, walked out of the wooden building that Yue would later learn is their barn, wiping dirt off his hands as he flashed them all a wide grin.

"That boy doing alright?"

Soko nodded, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Go wash up, yeah? I'll start on dinner."

"Only if you let me wrangle you up some frog-fish."

Song's eyes lit up, turning to her mom. "Can I help? Please? It's been forever since Dad took me down to the pond."

Smiling, she gave a nod much to her daughter's enthusiasm. Turning to Yue she looked more amused, "Why don't you give Yue a crash course? Somehow I don't think they have frog-fish in _Gaipan."_

Oh, this was not going to be as fun as Song made it out to be, was it?

* * *

"Ack! This is disgusting!"

Currently, they were all walking around in the pond up to their knees hunting the worst, most slimy, putrid things Yue had ever had the misfortune of looking at, much less touching.

Song had started laughing at her and Princess or not, Yue sent her a glare fit for the warriors of her tribe.

"Don't worry, it washes out," Don assured with a snicker, shoving another slimy creature in the sack. "So Gaipan, huh?"

Yue shrugged, "Just a small village, really."

"I heard the Fire Nation took it over a few years ago, you must have been traveling a while. You and..?"

"Uh, Onni." Yue blurted out. "My brother."

"Onni?" Song smirked. "Cute name, can he haul wood alright?"

"Song, at least wait until the boy's awake to start planning your wedding."

Song's face lit up red. "Dad!"

Time seemed to move in slow motion as Song splashed him! Yue felt the blood leave her face and took several steps back. Bracing herself for if Don decided she was also guilty for not stopping Song before she disrespected him so-

Water crashed down on Yue and she had to blink several times to process the fact that all Don had done was splash his daughter back.

Yue didn't even have the luxury of being confused because these two were quickly making her very wet.

Non-bender or not, no self-respecting Water Tribesmen could allow this to stand. This was how Yue went from collecting the most disgusting things on this planet to winning her very first water fight.

Seeing she was losing, Song grabbed a frog-fish out of her bag like a cheater and started chasing Yue around the pond.

"Stop it! Get that- Ack!" Yue tripped, Song followed, and they both went down. Frog-fish included.

Suffice to say, Soko laughed very loudly when they returned, still dripping back to her doorstep.


	3. Chapter 3: Not-Chen's Patient Wakes Up

**(I don't own Avatar or it's characters, just this fanfiction's plot)**

* * *

Zuko felt like he was in a fog when he finally awoke. His head hurt, and when he cracked his good eye open, everything was blurry and far too bright.

He was vaguely aware of someone checking him over, and judging by the swooshing of hair on his cheek it was _not_ Doctor Chen.

That realization was the ice-cold water he needed to snap his eyelids open and take in the woman hovering over him. She looked younger than Uncle, and judging by the colors she wore, was _definitely_ not Fire Nation.

He tried to get up and was struck with a bout of nausea that made his first few weeks of seasickness look like some common stomach flu.

Smiling, Not-Chen gave a small laugh and gently pushed him back in the cot, which he grudgingly noted was softer than the ones in his ship. "I'm glad you're feeling better, but I think you should take it easy, boy. You took quite the hit to the head and I don't think your brain needs any more scrambling."

Had he? An investigative touch told him yes, he had and _ow_ that REALLY hurt. It was like he had a tiny heart strapped to his forehead, no wonder he had a headache.

"Here,." Not-Chen tilted his head up and suddenly she was trying to force-feed him some sort of bland Earth Kingdom slop.

Zuko did the smart thing and clamped his mouth shut in refusal.

Not-Chen sat back with an amused shake of the head., "It's just a bit of broth, dear. It'll make you feel better."

Zuko highly doubted that. Wrinkling his nose he eyed the bowl suspiciously, she could have poisoned it for all he knew.

"Your sister said you took a pretty hard knock to your noggin, there. You need to keep your strength up if you want to get better." Not-Chen informed, ignoring the effect these words had on her patient. "Now am I going to have to force-feed you like you're five?"

Azula was here?!

She was going to laugh at him and tell him how much father mourned his loss and what a miserable excuse for a son he was! Then Azula would pester him on his search and _really Zuko, I would have had the Avatar by now-_

Zuko ignored the drumming in his skull for a moment and thought about it, really thought about it all, trying to think of what in Agni's name he'd done to deserve this and all at once his last expedition as the Blue Spirit struck him upside the head.

Sitting up despite Not-Chen's fussing, Zuko looked around and confirmed that yes, he wasn't in Zhao's brig. He had been pretty thoroughly brained by that pikemen, if the knot on his head was anything to go by, so The Northern Princess must have taken his advice and used her element to help them escape.

He hoped she hadn't actually drowned anyone.

"Is.. the idiot alright?" Zuko asked, and was surprised by how hoarse his voice was.

Laughing, Not-Chen gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Your sister's _fine_, but I'd worry about yourself. You really do need to take your medicine."

Zuko gave a slow nod, trying not to think too hard on why she had immediately assumed he meant _Azula_ when he asked for an idiot, because if there ever was a way to ask for death by flame that was the surest one.

Eyeing the bowl with a wrinkled nose, Zuko braced himself. Well, if Azula was keeping these peasants in line it probably wasn't _poisoned_.

Downing the bowl, Zuko nearly wished it was as he gagged. He could have put all the spices in this 'broth' and it still would have tasted like the dirt these people bended.

"I'll go let Yue know you've woken up," She said, and Zuko did his level best to stay upright as Not-Chen pushed him back into the bed.

_Are all Earth Kingdom peasants this strong?!_

Glaring at her retreating form, Zuko felt a comfy film coat his brain. His headache ebbing away to a nice, drug-induced sleep.

* * *

The second time Zuko came around, there was a strange girl in the chair near his cot. Her skin was dark like his old Master, Piandao, and her hair white like an old lady's. When she turned her head in his direction, he was struck once again by her strange blue eyes.

"Princess..." He breathed, eyes widening as he took her in for the first time in broad daylight. Even in what must have been borrowed peasant clothes, she looked every bit the royal she was.

"Prince Zuko," She returned with a nod, and Zuko was struck with a terrible surge of panic.

"How do you know?"

"Your.. I've heard rumors, and your hair gave you away..."

"My hair?"

Zuko's hands unconsciously flew up to the back of his head, realizing with a jolt that there was a layer of fuzz where his Phoenix Plume should be.

"My _hair!"_

"As I said, it gave you away."

Glaring a glare full of righteous fury, Zuko seethed. "My Phoenix Plume was a sign of _prestige_ and a symbol of my _honor_ and- and to just hack it off like- like-"

"Like it would have gotten you killed?" Yue asked with a delicately raised eyebrow.

"My honor-" He tried.

"Funny, I don't find much honor in having my throat slit by peasants while I sleep."

The boy opened his mouth, closed it, tried again, and settled for crossing his arms and glaring angrily a few feet to the left of Yue's head.

Yue gave him a smug smile unbefitting someone of her station, but spirits if the scandalized look that he gave her wasn't satisfying.

"Why?" The Fire Prince gritted out.

"Why what?"

Yue hadn't realized someone so pale could go so red.

_"Why did you save me?"_

"Why did _you_ save _me?"_ Yue shot back, and silence was her answer.

Yue raised her eyebrow. "Well?"

"An answer for an answer," The boy gruffed bitterly, looking much like someone had just melted his snow cone.

Yue leaned back, thinking for a moment. "We're the same."

"No, we aren't," Zuko hit the bed as he raised his voice. "You don't know anything about me!"

"I know we're both royals stranded in enemy lands with no allies and with no way home." Yue leaned forwards. "And I know you saved my life."

"I recaptured you so you could help me find the Avatar!" The Fire Prince yelled. "If you're thinking I've- That I've- That I have _betrayed my country-"_

Yue blinked. "The Avatar?"

"-Then you are sorely mistaken," The Fire Prince trudged right on, while Yue gave him a look that read of a blind man who had just been handed a highly detailed painting. "I am my father's loyal son, and once you help me-"

"Capture the Avatar.." Yue repeated, slowly.

"My father has asked me to find them," Zuko said as if it explained everything. "You of all people should understand why I cannot disappoint him."

"But the Avatar is a spirit tale," Yue stressed, feeling like she was talking to a little boy who was taking one of his mommy's stories too seriously. "There is no finding him."

"That's just what you'd like us to believe," Pointing an accusing finger, the Prince puffed sparks and smoke. "I know you have him! It'd be in your best interest to just tell me what you know."

Yue jumped up, eyes wide. "Stop that! If they catch you-"

"-Like a bunch of peasants could take on two royals-"

"-I'm a _princess."_

"Exactly, just like my sister," Yue took no comfort in the way the boy shivered at that. "Is she still here?.. Wait."

Zuko added up the things the Northern Princess had just told him and glared. "Did you tell them we were siblings?!"

"Well, what would you have said?"

"That you were my servant or guard, or literally anything else!" Came the Fire Prince's resounding response. Well then.

Yue took a fortifying breath. "Okay, I'll humor you. Say the Avatar is alive and against all reason has been at the North Pole all this time. Explain why he hasn't ended the war yet."

"Because they're a coward."

Yue raised an eyebrow. "And you believe my people would knowingly house such a man?"

The Prince's eyes looked over Yue furiously before something more desperate shone through.

"You have to have them." Otherwise, what was all this trouble for? "You're- You're just trying to trick me!"

"Trick you? If I wanted to trick you I'd tell you we did have him and use you to get back home."

"Like I'd-"

"You were planning to use me to infiltrate the North, yes?" Zuko pushed down the panic as the reality of the situation started to set in. "Then obviously you'd have needed to bring me with you. It would be the easiest way for me to get home."

"Then.. Then why are you telling me the truth?"

Yue paused at that.

"You saved me.. If I did that, you would be killed." Zuko felt frozen as blue eyes seemingly nailed him to the bed. "It wouldn't be honorable to repay you like that."

The dawning horror settled as Zuko stared blankly at her. "..You really don't know anything, do you?"

"I'm sorry..?" Yue eyebrows rose, did this royal really have no court face?

Flopping back with a groan, the Fire Prince wrapped his arms around his head. "Just leave me alone!"

Yue knew how to take her dismissals. Standing up, she gave her still-sort-of-rescuer a backwards glance.

"I told Soko that your name was Onni, by the way."

"You told them it was _what?!"_

Huffing, Yue tried to pretend his outrage didn't hurt. "It's a perfectly common name."

"In the Water Tribes!"

Glaring, Yue took little satisfaction in how it made the other royal flinch. "Well what would you have had me tell them? That you were the son of the man who's been ravaging their lands?"

Seeing that the son of Ozai had been properly told off, Yue turned on her heels and bade her leave.

Perhaps Song would be up for a walk around the village.

* * *

The third time Zuko woke up he felt relatively normal, aside from the bruise on his face. Which was why he was unfortunately aware of the girl _poking at it_.

Not-Chen's daughter was an apprentice who needed practice, and since the spirits hated Zuko they decided to give Not-Chen the idea of letting her get said practice by testing him for a concussion Zuko knew for a fact he did not have.

"Okay, Onni. Can you tell me who the current Earth King is?"

Zuko could not, in fact, tell her who the current Earth King was. So instead he opted for the sarcastic bastard response. "Which one?"

Pouting, she puffed her cheeks out like a child. "You know what I meant!"

"Do I? Or is it the concussion talking?"

"That's not funny!"

"Wasn't trying to be," Zuko did not pout.

Seeing as her daughter was about to argue with a head trauma patient, Not-Chen settled a hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't you check his pupils?" She suggested. "They're nice and light, so it's easy to tell."

Zuko tried not to flinch when Song placed her hand on his good eye and held his lid open. She was practically a _healer_, this was _fine_, and they already knew his eyes were gold so it's _fine-_

Then she reached for his burned side.

Zuko felt no remorse for smacking her hand away, and the fact she looked hurt changed nothing. If anything it just pissed him off that she just expected him to be okay with someone poking at his giant, ugly, disfiguring facial scar like he was some kind of circus animal.

"I was just-"

_"No one touches it,"_ He snarled. "Not you, not your mom, not the idiot. No one, got it?"

Nodding, she rubbed her hand. "It's.. It's okay you know? I think it makes you look handsome."

Zuko sputtered, "I'm not letting you touch my face just because you have a.. A scar kink."

The girl with the scar kink's face lit up like a fireball. "I DO NOT!"

"Who else looks at melted flesh and thinks, 'Damn, that's nice'?"

Song sputtered, much like someone had hit her in the head with a pike. "I.. No! Girls just like scars! They're manly."

Zuko highly doubted this, Azula would never have done anything to make him more attractive.

Shoulders shaking, Soko took a fortifying breath. "Honey, I think things are simply a little different in _Gaipan_, why don't you go let Yue know her brother's awake?"

Song gratefully took the out with the nod, leaving Zuko alone with the woman doing her damnedest not to laugh at him.

"She told you that's where we're from, then?"

"It's where she closed her eyes and pointed at the map," Soko shrugged off the look Zuko gave her. "I'm not going to pry, but just for the record I think you two should have a more concrete backstory planned before you go into town."

"I.. Uh usually handle that stuff."

"I'm sure," Opening his good eye, she gave a glance at his burn side. "That eye isn't real, is it?"

"Why would you- No.. It's not."

Nodding, she grabbed a container and dabbed some cream on his forehead. "I think you're fine to walk around today, just don't push it. You don't want to end up back in here, do you?"

Zuko quickly shook his head, earning another laugh from Not-Chen.

Not-Chen brought out some of her daughter's more gender-neutral hand-me-downs for him, which he grudgingly put on (where was his Blue Spirit costume?) and made his way to the door.

"Try not to stray too far from the village," Not-Chen advised over her shoulder. "Some Fire Nation scouts were seen crawling around the area. I'd hate to see them hurt you again."

Zuko felt a rush of indignation, he was a child! As if his countrymen would willingly attack him, even if they didn't recognize him in these awful peasants garbs.

Turning his nose up haughtily, Zuko yanked the door open and walked away to map out the area.

..The Wanabi couldn't be that far, surely.


	4. Chapter 4: Eggs Among the Stars

**(I don't own Avatar or it's characters, only this fanfiction's plot)**

* * *

Early that morning the two royals were sent to the market to sell some eggs and restock the family's pantry.

Stomping down the winding path that leads to the nearby village, Zuko considered setting the white-haired menace who was currently not cooperating with him on fire.

"Just tell me how far I have to walk to get to the Wanabi!"

"I've told you that these Earth Kingdom names mean very little to me," Came the idiot Princess's infuriating response.

"What kind of royal doesn't know the names of their enemy countries' land markers!" Or cities, or towns, and everything _else_ this girl claimed to not know.

"The kind who didn't need to know them."

"What kind of royal _wouldn't?"_ Quickening his pace so Zuko could properly glare at her, he seethed. "What, were you too busy learning how to scalp people to bother?"

The Idiot tripped over air at that and halted abruptly to give him a horrified look. "The Fire Nation scalps people?!"

Zuko huffed. "Oh yeah, that's why we all have such nice hair."

Yue quickly started for the village again, trying not to throw up.

"Okay," The Fire Prince started, like he hadn't just said something inconceivably terrible. "So you don't know any towns, rivers, or even the name of the specific village you dragged me to. What do you know?"

"We're in the North-Eastern Earth Kingdom."

Rubbing his hands over his face, Zuko groaned. "Okay, okay.. I can work with this. Probably. I can work _towards_ working with this."

Seeing houses start to pop up into view through the tree line, Yue did her level best to out pace her unfortunate companion.

Zuko did not get the hint.

"Do you think Not-Chen's husband would have a map?" He asked, catching up to her with an annoying amount of ease.

"Not-Chen?"

"The Earth Kingdom healer."

"Her name is Soko," Yue gestured towards where they'd come from. "And why don't you go ask!"

A beat of silence, in which Yue prayed he would.

"..It would be rude of me to leave you alone."

"You just don't remember how to get back!"

The Fire Prince snarled and snatched the basket of eggs from her hand, "As if! I just wouldn't trust you to haggle for some twine thread."

Haggle..?

As she followed the Prince of her enemies into the market, Yue quickly realized that he might have had a point.

"It's two copper!"

Zuko's scowl strengthened. "We both know these eggs are worth four times that! If you don't want to buy them for six we'll take our business elsewhere."

"The eggs are smaller than last time," The shop owner argued.

Eyes narrowing, Zuko turned towards the door without another wasted breath.

"Wait," The man sighed. "Five copper, and you can pick out some candies from the jar."

Nodding, Zuko's lips twitched as he exchanged the eggs and double and triple checked the money. He was still a bit unfamiliar with Earth Kingdom money, after all.

Yue watched him grab a handful of.. Twisted gummy sticks out of a jar before heading out the door. Following his example, she grimaced and gagged as she took a bite out of it. It was slightly bitter and way too spicy and overall _strange_.

The Prince smirked when he saw her expression. Like an asshole.

"Never had licorice before?"

_"No."_

"Here, take small bites. It's an acquired taste."

Giving the boy a suspicion look, Yue nibbled on the end of it.. It wasn't awful, she supposed, but wasn't good either.

"What does the list say we need?" He asked, adjusting their now empty basket.

"Oh, uh..." Yue squinted at the Earth Kingdom scrawl. "Bread, jelly, and some.. Herbs. For healing."

"Give me that," Zuko huffed, and scanned the list himself. "Okay so aloe leaves, honey, whatever the hell _that_ is, citrus.."

Snatching it back, Yue glared. "Like I said, herbs."

The Fire Prince held his hands up in an appeasing gesture before hurrying off to another end of the market to start on their next item.

Yue sighed, knowing she'd need to make sure he didn't burn some stubborn fool down.

* * *

Zuko grumbled, trying to block out the Idiot's horrid attempt to seem interested in the Hosts Cow-pig; as if a proper Princess would ever care about those below her station.

Glancing up, his eyes caught the girl with the scar fetish slipping out the door.

This conversation was boring anyways.

Stepping out into the cool night air, it didn't take him but a second to spot her on the far side of the porch, with only the stars for company.

"It's cold out," Was the lame thing his brain decided should come out of his mouth.

Scar-fetish shrugged, shooting a smirk at him as he walked over. "What? You gonna tattle on me?"

Grunting, Zuko sat beside her. Letting his toes brush the grass below, he wondered what Uncle was doing right now.

_Probably drinking tea while badgering the crew into checking the anchor for me_,' his mind supplied. _Or torturing them with a twenty-four seven music night._

"Your sister's nice, by the way," She said, smiling up at the stars. Zuko startled until he realized who she meant. "I don't think she's ever had to do much with you around, but she tried, which is enough."

"I.. What did you have her do?"

"Just chores," Scar-Fetish counted off on her fingers. "Milking Bin, brushing Asashi, getting eggs. You guys didn't have a farm before, huh?"

Zuko swallowed, not sure how much the Idiot had told the girl.

"Don't worry, it's nothing to be ashamed about," Her face turned somber, looking down at her hands in her lap. "You know, before I started helping Mom out in the clinic, I was really bitter. I couldn't help but think about how unfair it was that we couldn't afford nice dresses or more than one horse, but then I realized we were really, really lucky. Most people don't even have homes anymore."

"What? You're saying you _pity_ me? You think of us as some charity case?"

"I think you're someone who fought back," Scar-fetish glanced at his seared cheek, her hands fidgeting. "You obviously went through a lot to get here, and I respect that. I pity those who stayed in the colonies and gave up."

Zuko's jaw clenched and he ground his teeth together. He ignored the way she leaned forwards to look at him better.

"You don't know anything, the colonies did the smart thing. It prevented innocents from being hurt."

Scar-fetish raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you here?"

_Because I'm a horrible son,_ was not the correct answer, so instead Zuko said the next best thing. "I'm stupid."

"Well, better brave and dumb than a coward."

When Zuko said nothing, she playfully bumped his shoulder. "Hey, look over there!"

Following her hand, he saw a cluster of stars. "What am I looking at?"

"You see that big yellow one? We call that Oma's mark, they say that if you follow her tracks- The little stars under her- it'll lead you back towards the tunnel she and her husband Shu are laid to rest at."

"That's.. Cool."

Looking over the stars, Zuko gestured towards a different cluster. "What about those?"

"That's the Lion-mole, it guards the cave of Shin just up there. See? Oh! That's the Raven-dragon, Fe. They say that she's the runner for Agni and Tui, so they can keep in touch."

"A Raven-dragon?"

"Well, she's a raven at night and a dragon during the day." Song explained with a remorseful shrug. "So a Raven-dragon."

"..What about that green one?"

* * *

**Happy Easter!**

**World is so crazy Zuko's small if stressful vacation actually looks like a good time lmao hope you're all doing okay!**

**Hope you like this chapter! Please let me know what you think, like, and share with friends! :D**


	5. Chapter 5: Peasant Life

**(I don't own Avatar or it's characters, only this fanfiction's plot)**

* * *

Zuko woke up long before anyone else deigned to do Agni the honor of acknowledging her. The sun called and he answered just like any other self-respecting citizen of his nation.

The Earth Kingdom peasants who were assisting in his recovery slept on as he mapped out their lands, calculating exactly how much he could get out of their cupboards before hoofing it towards the Wanabi, which by Scar-fetish and her father's estimates was at least two miles north. Not accounting for the miles Zuko might have to trek to reach the Wani.

He had just found their Ostrich-Horse when he heard the shift of gravel behind him-

-It was just Scar-fetish's father, Zuko belatedly realized.

"Hey, I don't bite," The man laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

Dropping his stance, Zuko absentmindedly ran his fingers through the mare's hair. "You're up early.."

"Could say the same for you," Was all the man said before grabbing a bucket and heading over to the cow-pig in the other stall. Zuko bit his lip, he shouldn't have said that he was so _stupid-_

"Ever milk a cow before?"

"Uh.. No, sir. Can't say that I have."

Flashing him a smile, he nodded his head over. "Here, lemme show you. Never know what work you might need to do in your travels."

Zuko puffed his cheeks out, swallowing words like _I won't need to travel when I go home_ or _Uncle wouldn't need me to do this_ as he stalked over.

"Here," Scar-fetish's dad settled him on the seat and set the bucket below the cow-pig's utters. "Just tug on them like this, but don't squeeze her too hard."

"Does it hurt?"

"Nah, it probably feels nice to get rid of the extra weight. Just be gentle."

Zuko hesitantly pulled, but no milk came. Again, and again, until he couldn't hold his tongue. "I'm terrible at this!"

"You're probably just not doing it hard enough."

"You said to be gentle!"

Zuko flinched when the man shifted towards him, scrambling several steps back. Oh spirits he should _not_ have yelled like that.

"Why don't you go help Soko with breakfast?" Scar-fetish's dad suggested after a moment, wearing a look Uncle wore around him sometimes. "Song hates it, and Yue isn't very handy with that sort of thing."

Zuko nodded mutely, legging it back to the house before Scar-fetish's dad changed his mind and beat him like he should have.

Scar-fetish herself was looking quite miserable to be working in the kitchen. She was covered head to toe with white powder as she wrestled with raw dough.

Eyes lighting up at the sight of him (as if she were actually happy to see him), Scar-fetish waved him over. "Onni! Why don't you come help me with the flour?"

"Song, let the boy rest. His face is still as black and blue as La's sea."

Said face burned, adding Agni's sunshine to the mix.

"It's just dough!" Scar-fetish flashed him a dopey smile, holding up her hand to whisper. _"We're making biscuits."_\- As if it were some secret.

"Your husband told me to help."

Not-Chen's smile softened, "You can call him Don, dear. Here, why don't I show you how to knead the dough?"

The rest of the morning was.. Nice. It reminded Zuko of the mornings he spent with his mother and Azula at Ember island, before Ursa left and he ruined everything.

* * *

Yue didn't rise until breakfast was cooling down on the kitchen table. She looked over the table where Don was reading the town paper and Soko was washing the dishes.

"Where's Song and, uh, my brother?"

Looking up, Soko gave Yue an amused smile.

"Playing in the creek, I believe my daughter is introducing him to frog-fish."

Smirking in a very unladylike manner, Yue grabbed a piece of toast before sitting down. The Fire Prince probably couldn't burn much down while he was drenched.

* * *

Zuko laid on the grass, panting.

"Come on, Onni! Don't tell me I tired you out that fast."

"Damn.. Peasant.." He gasped between breaths. Zuko didn't know what ungodly thing Oma and Shu had blessed their people with, but suddenly it made a lot more sense why the war had been ongoing these last hundred years.

Suddenly he was kicked in the ribs. "Oi! Who're you calling a peasant!?"

Scar-fetish yanked Zuko up, and Zuko instinctively leaned far back. Not because he was scared of the girl who he could very well burn alive right now. Just instincts. She wasn't scary at all when her eyes got all narrow like that. Didn't remind him of Azula at all.

"Might I remind you how much land you own?" Her scowl deepened. "If I'm a peasant, what on Guayin's earth on you?"

"Nothing," Came what might have been the most honest thing Zuko had said since he got there. "I guess I'm nothing."

Scar-fetish's gaze softened as she let go. Watching him fall uncaringly on the Agni forsaken earth before plopping down beside him.

The silence stretched on as neither filled it.

Normally, Zuko would have gone to his room to scream or blasted fire into the sea, but he could do neither here. All he could do was sit and wonder what his father would say if he saw him. What Ozai must already think of him.

Burying his face in his knees, Zuko tried to swallow down the searing lump of coal in his throat, and when Scar-fetish touched his shoulder, he didn't smack her away.

* * *

Yue woke up early that morning to the smell of smoke.

Quickly, The Northern Princess shook Song's shoulder and leaped from the bed. Neither girl bothered to brush their hair or change as they rushed down the stairs to see-

\- a very cloudy kitchen, with a soot-covered firebender and burnt.. _Something_ being put out in the sink.

"Tui and La.. Were you.. Actually cooking?"

Song muffled a laugh with her sleeve when Zuko coughed out smoke in response.

"That's not even your place-" Yue went on, running her hands through her hair. How would her father even deal with this?

"Well excuse me for being helpful!"

"I think it's sweet," Song put on her dopey smile and walked over. She tried rubbing some soot from Zuko's cheek, to no real effect.

Cupping her hand, as if to act as a privacy shield, Song whispered. "My daddy cooks for my mom sometimes, but he always burns everything blacker than Koh's lair!"

Yue blinked.. Was this a man's chore in the South? No, she'd _seen_ Song and Soko cook- it couldn't possibly be that, there had to be something she was _missing_.

However, watching Song help The Fire Prince dump the burnt whatever that was _supposed_ to be out the window, she surprisingly didn't feel angry or disgusted by it.

"Yue, why don't you help me with the dough this time? Onni, you can stir the eggs."

The strange feeling in her chest actually felt really, really good.

* * *

The Ostrich-Horse, Asashi, hair was very tangled and that was the only reason Zuko deigned to brush her.

Zuko huffed as he knocked her away for what felt like the forty-second time in a row. Asashi kept picking at his still-too-short-hair as if he were an especially tasty hay bale.

"You know, if I didn't know better I'd think you liked that thing."

Head snapping up, Zuko saw the Idiot standing in the door frame, granny-hair tied back and out of her strange eyes.

Zuko shrugged, knocking away another affectionate nibble. "What's it matter to you?"

"What matters is we need to figure something out," Yue strode in, shutting the door behind her. "I need to get home, and you don't-"

"-I have to get back to my Uncle," Zuko cut her off. "Then, since your lead turned out to be a bust, we'll try the South for the Avatar."

Yue's eyes widened, before her surprise melted away to anger. "You'd attack my people for a spirit tale?!"

"It's not a spirit tale!" Zuko shouted before the rest caught up to him. "And I never said anything about attacking anybody!"

"That's what you people do," Yue jabbed him in the chest. "You burn, you kill, and you destroy! You've hurt so many people, _my_ people! _My_ girls! And for _what?_ WHY are you doing this?!"

Zuko blinked, "I've never hurt anybody.. Well, except those soldiers and guards- But they should have been capable of taking me down, so obviously Zhao wasn't training them hard enough, so it's not really _my_ fault-"

"Are you even listening..?" Yue took a step back, "My girls were just collecting _medicine_. We were going home and- and your men burned them alive."

"Zhao must have had a reason," Zuko insisted. "What? Did you steal it from a camp? Attack and scalp a scout to bring back to daddy?"

Yue blanched. "My father would never approve of something so barbaric-"

"-Oh, so now you see that it's wrong-"

"You said you use enemy scalps as wigs!"

"I was joking!" Zuko shouted, spitting sparks. "Spirits, do you people not have a sense of humor up there? Or does it get so cold it turns your hearts to ice?"

"You think that's funny?" Yue steamed, gesturing with her hands at Zuko. "Oh, of course you think mutilation is _hilarious_. I bet this whole war is just a big old lark to the lot of you!"

"Don't talk to me about the war, you haven't fought in it! Your Nation has done shit to help anybody." Zuko yelled, poking Yue right back. "I'm doing my damnedest to end it! You think we _like_ this? Like having our mothers and fathers never come home? My Uncle lost his fucking child and the spirits had the sick audacity to land my sorry ass on him like some sort of consolation prize."

"Then.. Then.." Yue started, but she wasn't sure how to respond. What part to respond to.

"Now you understand, I have to find the Avatar and bring them to my father." Zuko went on, as if this made perfect sense. "Avatar Roku damned this world when he turned the other Nations against us before fucking off to die in a volcano. Now almost no village will surrender while there's an able-bodied adult around to fight."

"Why _should_ we surrender?" Yue shot back, finding her voice. "Why should we have to live under Fire Nation supremacy?"

"Look around," Zuko gestured towards the world in general. "You've seen the markets, this farm. They have no running water, no heating, and no organization. We want to _fix_ it."

"You're destroying it." Yue shook her head before he could rebut her. "No. Killing kids, raping women, and burning innocent people alive isn't okay. Imprisoning innocent people isn't ever okay."

"We don't do any of that!"

Yue gestured to herself with a deadpan expression.

Zuko waved her off with a bark of laughter. "You're a princess, you're hardly innocent."

Scoffing, Yue stomped out towards the door and made sure to slam it on her way out.

She'd get home by herself.

* * *

Yue glared angrily at the Fire Prince as he helped Don cut firewood, _that insufferable, selfish, ignorant-_

"What's got your wrappings in a knot?"

Yue jumped about a foot out of her skin and whipped around so fast she nearly slapped Song in the face with her braid. "What?"

"You're kinda trying to firebend at Onni with your eyes," Song said in an amused tone, flopping down beside her. "Something happen?"

"He's an idiot."

"Funny, he said something similar about you."

"He what?!" _How dare he!_

Song laughed. "I think it's sweet you two share pet names. Makes me wish I had a sibling.."

Yue leveled her eyes back at Zuko. "Trust me, you don't want _him."_

"Why? He is kind of cute, and he tries to be helpful."

Song cupped her hand as she whispered. "Don't tell him, but he's really bad at this whole farmer-boy thing. He was so scared of hurting Fen he couldn't even get any milk out."

Yue blinked, trying to fit this in with the boy she'd shouted at earlier. Grumbling, she kicked a rock.

"Yeah, well, he's a lot less cute when you talk about the war."

But Song just nodded, "I know, we talked about it a bit before. Some people just lose hope after they've been hurt real bad."

"He genuinely believes the Fire Nation isn't doing anything wrong!"

"I don't think that's it," Song shrugged. "You're from the colonies, right?"

"What? No, we're from-"

Song held her hand up. "You can hide a lot, but you can't hide those eyes of his."

Yue clamped her mouth shut, her knuckles clenched white.

"It's fine, a lot of kids are mixed nowadays. My grandma is half too."

"What does this have to do with that jerk being a supporter?" Yue demanded, turning to look at the younger girl fully.

"Some people just can't handle it." Song shrugged. "They feel guilty, so they pretend that side of their heritage hasn't done anything wrong. Onni just can't hide from what he is like you can."

Yue flinched at the thought. "I.. I'm not."

Song held her hand up, offering her a sympathetic smile. "You don't have to justify it to me. Grandma's half, remember?"

Yue had nothing to say to that, so she just returned her gaze to the boy with the unnatural yellow eyes.

"You really think he's just in denial?"

"I think that it can sometimes be easier than acknowledging the truth."

* * *

Zuko had been counting his change when they showed.

Zhao and his men could not know he was here, so Zuko quickly ducked into an alleyway while they rounded up the citizens of the village.

While his Lieutenant held up wanted posters, Zhao started pacing his Komodo-rhino in front of the line-up.

"If anyone has any knowledge on this man's whereabouts, come forwards. He is wanted for treason against Fire Lord Ozai, under penalty of death. If I find any of you have been harboring him-" Snapping his whip, the air smoldered to match Zhao's expression."-My men and I will _burn_ this whole pitiful zest-pool down to its ashes."

Zuko pulled his hood over his head and snuck away back to Scar-fetish's family farm, the image of the flyer Zhao's Lieutenant held burnt into his frontal lobe.

That was _his_ face.

* * *

**Oh-ho Zuko might be in some deep shit now**

**Finally done with my semester on the 4th so I'm hella excited for several reasons now :D I hope you liked this and are looking forwards to the next chapter!**

**Lemme know what you think, like, and share!**


	6. Chapter 6: Flames of the Innocent

**(I don't own Avatar or it's characters, only this fanfiction's plot)**

* * *

Zuko was definitely not having a panic attack.

"What are you doing?"

But he may or may not have been having a heart attack.

Ignoring his Northern Counterpart, Zuko continued to rush around the room, shoving random items into a pillowcase because he was a traitor to his country now and traitors couldn't just walk into ports because they lost their hairbrush.

Yue herself wasn't quite sure what she'd just walked in on.

"What are you doing?" She repeated, like a normal person who was not possessed by some sort of hoarding-spirit.

"Leaving," was the only answer she received, being grabbed by the wrist and dragged out of the little wooden house with little more explanation.

Zuko didn't have time. He could already hear the thunderous stomps of the Komodo-rhinos and how in Koh's name did Zhao find him that fast-

"I am not going anywhere with you until you tell me what in the Great Spirits' names you're doing!" The Idiot yelled as she yanked out of his grasp. Deciding to be more difficult than usual.

"There isn't any time!" Zuko grabbed for her hand again. "The Fire Nation-"

That was then the thunder turned to fire as the Fire Nation arrived.

Yue's eyes widened and Zuko was yanked so hard back into the house his arm might have been pulled from the socket had he had the mind to fight her.

Pushing the Prince against the wall, Yue covered his mouth. They watched as the tall grass and trees caught fire as the Fire Nation soldiers started setting the farm ablaze. The cries from the livestock were the only sound besides the burning wood.

Muttonchops strode through the middle of it all, the flame separating for him.

"You said he would be here."

"He is!" A familiar voice anxiously assured from behind another Komodo-rhino driver. The man from the general store. "The kids have been staying here for a few weeks at least!"

A pause.

"Search the place. Burn it to the ground if you have to. They couldn't have gotten far."

Zuko didn't even realize he'd started hyperventilating until the Idiot had started rubbing his back, like he was a child in need of soothing.

"Breathe, just breathe, that's it.. One, two, just like that."

Maybe he _was_. Zuko had always been weak and pathetic and now he was going to die here. He'd never get his honor back, and worst of all he'd probably gone and made Uncle an accomplice in all of this. Zuko had technically used his idea, after all.

_No, Uncle can be smart at times. _Zukotried to assure himself_. He'll know to play dumb, if just this once._

"-We have to get out of here." The Idiot Princess was saying, but what was the point? He should just give himself up so he could at least be put to rest with his ancestors.

"Oh for the love of-"

Grabbing Zuko by the wrist, the Idiot yanked him out of the burning house and onto what was left of the porch outside.

The farm was on fire.

Why was his countrymen burning it all down? It wasn't like Scar-fetish's family knew he was an enemy of the state- they weren't even military!

A horrible scream halted any such thoughts.

"We have to help!"

Without further thought Zuko dragged the Idiot along as he rushed towards the source of the noise.

Skidding to a halt when a tree fell in their way, Zuko readied his fist as a soldier looked before them.

He wished he hadn't lost his swords.

Taking a breath, Zuko blew chi into the existing fire. The flames exploding into their maker's face and sending them off their stead.

Yue matched the Fire Prince's pace as they rushed towards the cries. No choice but to trust Zuko to bend the flames out of their path and keep them safe.

Pulling the cheap cloth off her shirt over her nose, Yue blinked away the burning tears from the smoke around them as they stumbled into the barn.

The screamer turned out to be Song, who was being held down by a soldier.

Yue tried not to think about how much like last time it was.

"Get off of her!" The Fire Nation Prince shouted, barely giving the creep a chance to turn around before blasting a fistful of fire to his face.

Panting, Zuko watched the pitiful excuse for a soldier's body fall to the floor. The man convulsed as he gasped for breath through his chard lips, eyes seared closed and still sizzling.

He'd done that.

"Zuko! Help me!" The Idiot called for him, wrapping her arms around the younger girl, who was crying and clutching her bare and very burned legs.

"Where's your mom?" Zuko immediately asked, because he had no idea what to do. "Or maybe your dad..?"

"They took him!" Scar-fetish cried, burying her face in the Idiot's chest. "They took daddy when he wouldn't let them hurt me! They took him- They took him and they... and they prob.. probably-"

Unable to finish, Song broke down in sobs while clutching Yue's shirt.

Zuko had never felt so angry and useless in his entire life.

"We.. We have to get out of here." He said after a moment, forcing himself to think. To remember the escape plans he'd been making since he had truly woken up.

Plans which were now being used under very different circumstances.

Rushing to the back of the barn where Asashi's stable was, Zuko fumbled with the latch with his trembling fingers.

"Fuck it," he muttered, deigning to just break the damn thing.

A stray (Zuko hoped to Agni it was a stray) fireball hit the wall. Flames started licking across the barn ceiling.

Across from them, Fen and Bin made terrified cries from their stall. Trapped inside the burning building.

Yue watched the prince rush to undo the lock, before trying to drag the indignant Ostrich-Horse towards them, as well as the roaring flames from outside.

Muttering an apology in Song's ear, The Northern Princess scooped her up and met Zuko halfway.

"Help me get her on," Yue requested, and Zuko wordlessly obliged.

When the supplies they grabbed for the trip were all packed onto the smaller-than-average horse, Zuko and Yue sent a prayer up to their respective deities before he gave Asashi's side a firm kick.

Asashi was nothing if not fast, leaping over flames and weaving through the burning trees towards freedom.

Through the flames devouring the countryside the shadows of fire nation soldiers and brave Earth Kingdom villagers could be seen battling for their respective lives, the unarmoured men being cut down in uneven numbers.

Looking back, Zuko caught sight of Zhao in the middle of the chaos; the man he had sold eggs to at his feet, begging. The man who had sold Zuko and Yue out to the Fire Nation.

Zhao's face was blank as he plunged a fire weather hand into the store owner's back.

* * *

**Whoop and the farm is gone. Mostly.**

**Since I introduced Song I really really liked the idea of Zuko actually _being there _when she was attacked and burned. Not traumatic at all for Zuko to witness :D a****nd this time the Ostritch-Horse robbery is mutual!**

**Will Zhao catch up? How will our favorite royals keep Song's wounds clean and help her heal? Will they find her parents? ****Let me know what you think :) I hope you enjoyed and are excited to find these things out!**


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